Thursday, April 22, 2010

Gogol Bordello - Start Wearing PurplePaul Cantelon - Prologue, Babushka: I haven't read the book, even though it's been sitting on my bookshelf for a while. Then Elijah Woods starred in the movie adaptation of it, but like Lovely Bones and Timetraveller's Wife, it became another much-loved book that barfed up a much-maligned movie.
So even though I haven't seen it, I did randomly pick up the Everything Is Illuminated soundtrack and it's actually quite enjoyable. Lots of Eastern European influences all over it. Paul Cantelon's compositions are lush and romantic, and OMG Gogol Bordello! How can you go wrong? And if you just don't 'get' it, go check out the Start Wearing Purple music video to understand what it's all about...

B. Dolan - EarthmoversB. Dolan - Fifty Ways To Bleed Your Customers: I've been following Alias since the first Anticon 12" he put out. He did the graceful thing and stopped whiney rhyming and went on to hone his skills as one of the hottest beatsmiths this side of the Pacific. I have been following him for over a decade now, and that is what brought me to B. Dolan's new LP Fallen House Sunken City, and oh yes, the beats are hot.
The vibrations of Doctor Octagon upon white rappers is still being felt in the bones of the work here, with some of the vocoding and rhyme structure on Earth Movers almost paying homage to that era. Next track, he switches it up and you can almost hear some El-P coming through. But Dolan never sinks in to imitation, and makes each voice affirmatively his own. The album slumps a bit in the center, but the beginning and ending peaks are truly outstanding.
One of the most exciting things in hiphop in 2010 so far, highly recommended for fans of Def Jux, Anticon and Strange Famous camps. This guy pays respect to all three.

Bruce Peninsula & Muskox - Shanty Song (Reprise): New Bruce Peninsula! This is from a fabulous little limited edition 7" record that I highly recommend tracking down.

Delorean - Stay Close: The full length LP Subiza isn't quite out yet, but here is some deliriously slick pop sweetness for you.

Esperanzah - 5 Minutes: I love her smokey style, and really, who can't get behind songs about staying in bed a little bit longer? A definite must for fans of real-life hiphop ala Jean Grae and Speech Debelle.

Fever Ray - I'm Not Done (RD Remix): Fever Ray couldn't hurt to have some straight forward head-nodding beats on top, and this plunker-with-strings sits perfectly on top with just enough brooding synths to make it both glowing badass and funkily evil.

Hockey - Too Fake (RAC Mix): The RAC beats and screechy/shout vox implies an ample amount of LCD Soundsystem love, and gosh, what the world needs now is love sweet love. LCD love.

Japandroids - Darkness on the Edge of Gastown: Japandroids love their fans! After last years smashing album, they are releasing a 7" a month, and they released a collection of earlier tracks entitled "No Singles", where this track is from.
At first it was a bit too lo-fi and jarring even for me, but let the riffing and release just cast a hypnotic spell over you and then everyone is shouting on top of each other and you are just spinning and circles and you're reminded just how frustrating things were as a teenager for some reason.

Jazz Liberatorz - I Am Hip-Hop ft Asheru: This is from a sexy new 12", A side featuring Asheru, and J-Live rocking some smooth love on the flipside. If you like jazzy breaks but lament that weak MCs often just phone-in their parts on them, this single is for you. Both tracks are super tight and the MCs bring a solid performance. Shades of Mos Def dropping rhymes with DJ Honda, circa 1998.

Pillowdiver - Black Metal Dream: How can you not love a song titled Black Metal Dream? You KNOW that it's going to be great! From the fabulously brief Tony On A Bike, Pillowdriver have a sweet spot sitting between sludge metal, post-rock and Frippian ambient. Highly recommended if that last sentence made your eyes dilate.

Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect UnionTitus Andronicus - A Pot In Which To Piss: Holy shit. Now this is a rock album. Not since first experiencing Propagandhi's How To Clean Everything or the time I finally started listening to the lyrics of The Hold Steady albums and taking them in as a whole has there been such a siesmic rock moment in my headphones.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Twin Sister - All Around And Away We Go: I don't normally go for lo-fi aesthetics, and I full-on rebel from the last 2-3 years of low-wave garage rock. I almost dismissed this album outright based on allusions to those genres alone! And in the end Color Your Life wasn't for me, but the breathey pixie vox evoking a summer breeze on this track were a bit too seductive to pass up.